Issue 28

5 August 2021: China launched a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang Launch facility sending ChinaSat 2E (Zhongxing 2E) into geosynchronous transfer orbit. ChinaSat 2E joins a growing family of ChinaSat commercial/military communications satellites. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) declared the launch successful. Launch VIDEO.

– ChinaSat-2E will provide television, radio, broadband multimedia and other transmission services. China Satellite Communications is owned by the Chinese Government, and the line of ChinaSat satellites are also used to provide general communication services for the military.

– Open Source data has ChinaSat-2E in GTO as of 14 August 2021.

– Zhongxing is suspected to be the fourth satellite of the Shentong-2 military communication satellite line. They are operated by the PLA and provide communication services for voice and text communications.

– Liftoff mass for the newest satellite was 4,000 kg, and the service time is expected to be about 15 years.

– The Xichang launch complex is known for it’s location, which can also result in dropping stages near civilians after orbital launches. The stages fly over populated areas and continue to pose a danger to residents.

– In the future, launches will slowly transition to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center, closer to the ocean, so that drop zones along the launch corridor do not overfly populated areas.

– This is the 28th orbital launch from China in 2021 and the 64th launch of the Long March 3 B/E. The Long March 3 family has now launched 134 times.

ChinaSat 2E likely belongs to the second generation of Shentong tactical communications satellites. It is designed to deliver secure voice and data communications to ground terminals operating at the Ku-Band frequency (12 to 18 GHz). Moreover, this satellite feature advanced multiple steerable spot beam antenna technology. It allows ground users to communicate while on the move.

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In Feb and Apr 2021 open-source reporting revealed information about China’s Undergraduate and Graduate Space Officer Training. Training appears to be centralized at the PLA Space Engineering University (SEU). Undergraduate Officer training likely takes over 2 years, and it appears SEU has ~1,200 undergraduate students enrolled at one time.

– China’s SEU is located on three campuses in Beijing and is subordinate to the PLASSF Space Systems Department.

– It is the sole military academic institution for China’s space force.

– The curriculum prioritizes space engineering and information countermeasures, as well as intelligence and analytical skills.

– SEU offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

SEU Undergraduate Curriculum

– Recruiting brochures identified a total of 15 specialties for undergraduate studies.

1) Combat Environment Engineering; 2) Command Information Systems Engineering; 3) Communications Engineering; 4) Early Warning Surveillance; 5) Flight Vehicle Propulsion Engineering; 6) Information Countermeasures Technology; 7) Measurement and Control Engineering; 8) Navigation Engineering; 9) Operations and Mission Planning; 10) Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering; 11) Radar Engineering; 12) Reconnaissance Intelligence; 13) Remote Sensing Science and Technology; 14) Space Equipment Engineering; and 15) Weapons Launch Engineering.

– Information about specific training objectives and course work was also listed.

– For example the Remote Sensing Science and Technology program, adds up to 882 class hours, roughly equivalent to 60 semester hours or about two years of university work.

– This is just the core program for the major; other required or optional courses available were not found in this research.

– Based on recruiting goals SEU appears to be capable of graduating several hundred officers a year to support a full range of current and future Chinese space missions.

SEU Graduate Curriculum

– Chinese online media released PLA SEU’s 2021 graduate research program.

– The announcement identified 52 research specialties offered under 10 majors.

– It also identified two different types of graduate degrees: “academic” degrees (10 listed) and “specialty” degrees (5 listed).

– Academic Degrees: 1) Aerospace Science and Technology; 2) Control Science and Engineering; 3) Cyberspace Security; 4) Information and Communications Engineering; 5) Military Command; 6) Military Equipment; 7) Military Political Work; 8) Military Training; 9) Optical Engineering; and 10) Systems Science.

– Specialty Degrees: 1) Master of Electronic Information; 2) Master of Engineering Management; 3) Master of Mechanics; 4) Military Political Work; and 5) Military Equipment.

The majority of research topics fall under “Space Hardware Engineering” suggesting that Space University’s top research priority is training space officers in space related hardware, technologies and asset design – not just their operation. The topics under the second category, “Space Mission Development,” indicate PLA space officers will be involved in space projects from conception to mission. The third category shows cyber defenses of space assets is a major concern and that space officers are being trained to develop those defenses.

Original PDF links: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4

11 Aug 2021: The Indian Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) suffered a malfunction of its upper stage during an Aug. 11 launch, causing the loss of an imaging satellite, GISAT-1 (renamed EOS-03).

– The GSLV lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 8:15 p.m. Eastern.

– The initial phases of the flight, including burns by four strap-on boosters and the first and second stages, appeared to go as planned, as did the separation of the rocket’s payload fairing.

– After second stage separation, the upper stage’s cryogenic engine ignited. The stage appeared to start to roll and lose attitude control moments later, based on animations derived from launch vehicle telemetry shown on the webcast by ISRO.

– The EOS-03 satellite and the GSLV CUS third stage reached a -4500 x 140 km x 17.9 deg orbit and impacted the Andaman Sea near the second stage impact zone at about 0023 UTC, 10 minutes after launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

– This was the 14th flight of the GSLV, India’s largest launch vehicle, and the eighth of the Mark 2 version, which has an upper stage with a domestically developed cryogenic engine that uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

The first Mark 2 launch, in 2010, failed to reach orbit because of a failure of that upper stage engine, but subsequent launches were successful until this latest flight.

Space is hard. China remains the only nation with a “high resolution” satellite in GEO with Gaufen-4 (40m) and Gaufen-13 (15m).

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Pics o’ the week!

Super Heavy with its 29 Raptor engines, including R2B2!

Original PDF links: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

Space Station and the Northern Lights

Edwards AFB circa 1964-67

If this was an airshow, it was the best one ever!

Original PDF links: Source 1 · Source 2

Why we space: Crescent Earth beyond the Moon, captured from the Apollo 15 CM Endeavour on August 4, 1971

Starship · Saturn V · New Glenn 😎

Randy Shaffer?

Original PDF links: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4